Thursday, July 2, 2009

I attended my very first music concert in 1981. I was 12 years old and in the 7th grade. I had been in Hamilton, TX. visiting my Grandmother. It must have been a Sunday morning, because that's when she got a copy of the Dallas Morning News. I saw an ad in the newspaper for the Jackson 5 Triumph tour featuring Michael Jackson.
I don't know why this particular concert struck me as something I wanted to do. By the time I hit Junior High and started to get into music, the Jackson 5's were fading into pop culture memory. Michael had just recorded his Off the Wall album but it hadn't been released yet.They were at a moment in time where one of the the biggest bands of the 1960s and 70s was about to be eclipsed by baby brother and forever make them a footnote in his bio.
But, the ad hit a chord in me and I told my Mom I really wanted to go. Not much more was said about it but a couple of days before the show my Dad came to me and held out 2 tickets. He had a hotel room in Dallas and we were going. Just the two of us. (Note that $10.50 price on the ticket!)
I remember the show being exciting and electric. Michael was definitely the star of the show.
This was the set list: